Rafael Leao has now gone over a month without a goal, leading to question marks about just how decisive he actually is for AC Milan.
La Gazzetta dello Sport recall the words of Pioli about who he had seen the most of over the summer: “Leao is the player who spent the most time in my office.” He said it with a smile because he felt Leao was finally turning a corner and blossoming.
The winger seemed objectively headed towards that step – certainly not the last, but certainly one of the most important – which was to become a consistently decisive player for Milan.
Leao is the star of the team, Milan most of the time lights up when he lights up, and in the same way goes out. Given that he will turn 25 next June, the feeling is that he can no longer be looked at as a young player who must grow and rather must take concrete steps forward in terms of maturity.
From a footballing perspective, Leao is no longer a young man, and the time has come to understand if he can and how he can take that next step. In Paris the challenge against Mbappé was merciless, but no one could – and should – have expected Rafa to play on par with a phenomenon that has been certified for some time now.
A middle ground would have been enough, that is, demonstrating that you have taken the right path to becoming one. Often, however, big games involving the Portuguese slip away without him leaving a mark.
Leao has not scored a goal since the win over Verona on September 23rd and that is only part of the problem. The question is more about being able to be a leader. At the beginning of the season he had assured that he felt ready, but the journey tells a different story.
To help him, so to speak, Milan gave him everything they could: the top salary in the squad, dedicated psychological assistance (in the sense that Ibra, Maldini and Pioli have always been very close to him), considerable help in resolving the legal dispute with Sporting CP (of course, technically Lille paid the compensation, but the €20m came from the Rossoneri, in exchange for the French club losing the resale clause), the No.10 shirt, the vice captain’s armband and, on one occasion, actually being captain.
Ronaldinho made it known that Rafa enchants him, while Pioli pampers him and defends him from Sacchi’s attacks in the media, yet the former Lille man seems unable to find a comfort zone within which to express himself entirely.
Or, looking at it from another perspective, he progresses slowly precisely because he is stuck in that comfort zone. It’s as if after the renewal, the very tiring negotiation, Rafa stopped.
Perhaps above all from a tactical point of view, and it’s not about how many times he goes up and down the flank to lend a hand when not in possession. What Pioli asks of him, sometimes even publicly to stimulate him, is a different approach to the attacking phase and to the occupation of spaces.
There was a symbolic moment in the early stages of the game against PSG: it was the 9th minute when Pulisic runs away to the right and delivers a decidedly inviting ball which travelled horizontally across the area and went out because there was nobody at the far post.
This is exactly what Pioli has been hammering home about for some time: attack the space in behind and the far post to get more involved in dangerous areas.
In recent days, Pioli, indirectly replying to Sacchi, said that ‘Leao is happy to have a coach like me’, in the sense of a coach who, in addition to letting him play, also grants him a certain freedom. But after the match against Newcastle he clarified that Rafa should have opened the scoring, while in Paris he added ‘if he had scored, it would have been better’.
His seasonal tally reads 3 goals in 12 appearances, or an average of one goal every 306 minutes. An average that does not do honour to a player protected by a clause of €175m.
Mbappe is a hungry killer going all in every match for a win while Leao still acts like an entertainer. People saying he’s still young but he’s 24, coming into his prime soon.
“There was a symbolic moment in the early stages of the game against PSG: it was the 9th minute when Pulisic runs away to the right and delivers a decidedly inviting ball which travelled horizontally across the area and went out because there was nobody at the far post.”
👏👏👏
Kudos to GdS for actually noticing stuff like that, but Hakimi chested that ball out while there was a Milan player behind him, but that Milan player was Theo Hernández.
The man doesn’t have a nose for goal. Between being lazy, not attacking the ball and the open space, inability to read the game, to having the worst shooting ability ever seen on a professional player , ending with no desire to get better learn and improve , he will never be a high volume scorer.
Everything he does is off of his ability to outrun his opponent on 1v1. You take away the speed and you are left with nothing.
Talent is nothing without hard work.
And they should stop attaching leader next to that man’s name.
Question for his fanboys.
If Milan plays an important gane, gets a penalty in the 92nd minute, Giroud has been subbed, Theo isn’t on the field, what is the confidence level that your guy will actually pick up the ball and step up to shoot that penalty? Or Pulisic, Reijnders, Jovic, Krunic, Maignan or any other Milan player with cojones will actually have to do it?
A leader would step up and shoot it without thinking.
Not to mention we actually had Tomori take a set piece , after we had Saelemakers last season but we are yet to see Leao do it. Those 2 have time to work on it during summers or training sessions while leao is too busy rapping.
That’s Embarrassing.
“”If Milan plays an important gane, gets a penalty in the 92nd minute, Giroud has been subbed, Theo isn’t on the field, what is the confidence level that your guy will actually pick up the ball and step up to shoot that penalty? Or Pulisic, Reijnders, Jovic, Krunic, Maignan or any other Milan player with cojones will actually have to do it?”” If Pulisic is on the pitch he will step up for sure, he is a leader material. When Mike got his red card, he was ready to step us and be the GK, it was a good show from him, at least he has the courage to take responsibilities. I don’t this in Leao, yes the formation change has affected him and Theo by a lot but you have to adjust with the change. Mbappe has played under 4 different managers since joining PSG and performs well under everyone. There’s a big difference between a born exterminator and a player who plays to entertain fans. He plays well against weak opposition then ghosts the whole game against stronger oppositions. The player most similar to him in this world is Rashford, I don’t know why but it seems the same thing to me. There stature in the team, their playstyle everything seems similar nowadays. Even if they have months and months of bad game, they will start for the team because they are manager’s favorites.
Leao at 24, with his talent, should be an atk machine. But he unfortunately does not have the work ethic to become one.
The ‘Z’ dude is right. Why isnt Leao taking free kicks? As an attacker that should be in his repertoire
How many people would be upset if we sell him for 100m and reinvest in the following:
Scalvini
Ricci
Colpani/Baldanzi
Sounds like a good idea to me, pulisic can replace him on the left and Chuk (reluctantly) on the right
ENTS
What’s the difference between a good leader and a great leader? According to John Maxwell, leadership expert, best-selling author, and founder of the world-famous John Maxwell Group, the answer depends on what level of leadership ability a person reaches. In 5 Levels of Leadership, Maxwell outlines the various stages of leadership from least evolved to most evolved. Throughout the chapters, he describes leadership as a journey that has a pinnacle: Level 5 leadership.
Level 5 leaders spend their lives mastering various leadership styles, leadership qualities, and leadership skills. In doing so, they create highly successful, profitable companies where team members feel as though their work is engaging, fulfilling, and impactful. Organizations with Level 5 leaders also have thriving team cultures. This type of executive creates the conditions for a safe, trusting workplace environment where other leaders are developed. By multiplying leaders at every level throughout the organization, those who reach Level 5 produce an infinite cycle of strong leaders who contribute to their legacy.
In this article, learn more about what the five levels of leadership are, why you should strive to become a Level 5 leader, what the characteristics of each level are, tips for navigating this journey, and how to reach the true pinnacle of leadership.
Leadership Level 1 – Position
A leader grants a particular person the right to lead. As a result, people follow them because they are directed to, not because they are influential.
Leadership Level 2 – Permission
The leader focuses on building and growing relationships with their employees. As a result, their team members give them free permission to lead.
Leadership Level 3 – Production
When a leader reaches Level Three, they focus on the increase of results. In turn, people follow them because they trust the person knows what they’re doing and will lead them in the right direction.
Leadership Level 4 – People Development
Those who reach Level Four are servant leaders who teach, mentor, build, and multiply other leaders. They obtain and maintain followers because people know they positively influence the lives of everyone around them.
Leadership Level 5 – Pinnacle
Level Five leaders—the rarest type of leader—are well-known for their accomplishments, how they’ve enriched the lives of others, and led their organizations to change the world for the better. These leaders have followers because of who they are, what they’ve done, and what they represent to people.
Which level you do think we as a club are?
Personally I think level 1
I feel like he wasn’t mentally ready to wear the iconic 10 and be considered a leader in the team. He seemed to be better when he was a bit oversawed (especially by Ibrahimovic).
He has a lot of talent and potential, he is lethal when focused and frankly he is still our best player by a good margin, but he lacks in maturity.
But that’s just my opinion